2 Port Clinton residents allegedly were drag racing with child in car

PORT CLINTON - After recent sessions of the Ottawa County Grand Jury, indictments have been returned against 19 individuals, according to Prosecuting Attorney James VanEerten.

The indictments were filed against the following persons:

• Monica R. Warnke and Kyle Jennings, Port Clinton, both on charges of aggravated vehicular assault and child endangering in connection with an automobile crash in May. According to troopers of the Ohio Highway Patrol, Warnke and Jennings were drag racing in two separate cars near Port Clinton when Jennings lost control of his vehicle. Both Jennings and his 8-year-old passenger were hospitalized with serious injuries.

• Jessica Fillmore, Port Clinton, on one felony count of obstructing official business, along with a misdemeanor count of child endangering. According to an investigation by the Ottawa County Dog Warden, Fillmore lied to officers who were investigating a dog bite report this summer.

• Zachary Young, who is being held in the Ottawa County Detention Facility, on two felony counts of drug possession, after deputies of the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office allegedly found him in possession of heroin and fentanyl during a traffic stop earlier this summer.

• Scott Avery, Oak Harbor, on one felony count of unauthorized use of computer equipment, along with misdemeanor charges of theft and OVI. According to reports of the Oak Harbor Police Department and the Port Clinton Police Department, Avery allegedly stole a cell phone in Oak Harbor in July, then sent photos from the phone.

• Lorne Mach, Parma, on charges of domestic violence and violating a protection order. The charges are felonies of the third degree, alleging that Mach has been convicted of at least two previous domestic violence charges, and that he was committing a felony at the time he violated the protection order.

• Katelyn Ross, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, on one felony count of failure to comply, along with misdemeanor charges of speeding and OVI. Ross allegedly fled from officers of the Port Clinton Police Department who tried to stop her for a speeding violation last month.

• Leighia Havens, Port Clinton, on possession of fentanyl, possession of drug abuse Instruments, and possession of drug paraphernalia, along with two counts of child endangering. According to reports of the Port Clinton Police Department and the Ottawa County Drug Task Force, Havens was found in possession of the items when officers searched her residence in July. Two children were also inside the residence.

• Dustin Lucas and Matthew Taulker, whose whereabouts are unknown, each on one count of failure to appear, a felony of the fourth degree, after both men allegedly failed to attend hearings on pending criminal cases last month.

• Lea Bullion and Holly Leach, whose last known address is Lakeside, each on possession of drugs and child endangering, after the pair was found in possession of cocaine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia by officers of the Danbury Township Police Department in July.

• Charles Willis, John Robinson, and Terrance Jones, Cleveland, each on one count of cheating, a felony of the fifth degree. According to reports of the Ohio Investigative Unit, the men were involved in conducting a shell game on Put-in-Bay during Christmas in July.

• Debra Brenneman, Oak Harbor, with one count of abusing harmful intoxicants. Deputies of the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office allegedly found her in possession of empty aerosol cans after receiving information that she was inhaling the contents in order to get high. The charge is a felony of the fifth degree, alleging that Brenneman has a previous conviction on similar charges.

• Nathaniel Easterling, Toledo, on one count of receiving stolen property, a felony of the fourth degree. According to officers of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Easterling stole a watercraft from Lucas County and brought it to Ottawa County. The boat allegedly sustained serious damage after he failed to properly secure it.

• Adam Palmer, who is being held in the Erie County Detention Facility, on one count each of tampering with evidence and possession of criminal tools, after he reportedly attempted to alter a urinalysis test being conducted by a probation officer of the Ottawa County Common Pleas Court in November

• Keith Saxton, Port Clinton, on three-counts of possession of drugs along with one count of Inducing panic, after he allegedly was found in possession of cocaine, oxycodone, and marijuana in August, 2017.

VanEerten noted that an indictment is merely a formal charge and does not denote the guilt or innocence of the defendant.